Our monthly digest from the Sweet Maria’s Email list, announcing new coffees, new content and new events!
January 2021 offerings are all listed here, for your reference. If you want to read about our arriving coffee, events, product and news, sign up for our emailer.
January 6, 2021

Happy New Year! Did you get a new roaster for Christmas or make a resolution to take your roasting to the next level? One of home roasting’s challenges is figuring out what coffees to order next or how to replace a favorite that has gone out of stock. Knowing the originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not..., cultivarCultivar is a term used interchangeably with Varietal in the coffee trade to indicate plant material, although there are distinctions.: The naming of a cultivar should conform to... and flavor attributes of the coffee you like can be a big advantage when sortingCoffee is sorted by size, density, and color in its preparation for export.: Sorting refers to several steps performed in the preparation of coffee for export. Coffee is... through what can seem like endless offerings. Also, take advantage of the filters on the left side of our green coffeeGreen coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... offering pages to refine our list down to just the coffees you will enjoy.

We have some great coffees on the way this week. Stay tuned for a PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... Fair TradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability.: Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach.../Organic, an Ethiopian Dry Processed Yirga Cheffe and other great coffees from ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true...., El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture..., KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... and NicaraguaNicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other.... Also, look out for a restock of Monkey Blend, New Classic EspressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is..., French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... and Liquid Amber blends.

- A fresh year deserves a fresh wall calendar. Purchasing a 2021 Sweet Maria’s Cars of Coffee calendar will help us contribute to Food 4 Farmers, Girls Gotta Run, Grounds for Health, Coffee Kids and World Coffee ResearchThe study of the agronomy of coffee, its chemistry, or other improvements: The study of the agronomy of coffee, its chemistry, or other improvements. There are coffee research....
- Our roasted coffee selection is really good right now. Choose from Monkey Blend, Liquid Amber, Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... and EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... while supplies last.
January 8, 2021

As promised, we have a great selection of coffees to offer this week along with a restock of our classic blends.
Peru Fair Trade OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... Don Edy – This dense, high-grown coffee bean holds up to heat, offering notes of sugar in the raw, syrupy dark chocolateA general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of chocolate. But what type? Usually described with more specifics.: Chocolate is a broad, general flavor or aroma term reminiscent of..., hints of dried fruit, moderate acidityAcidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... depending on roast level. Good for espresso. Colombia Buesaco Alianza Granjeros – A caramel-sweet overtone, aromatic butterscotch note, hints of fruit, dried date and an herbalA flavor descriptor in coffee reminiscent of herbs, usually meaning aromatic, savory, leafy dried herbs. Usually, more specific descriptions are given, whether is is a floral herb, or... accent in the aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while.... Acidic impression like brisk black tea when roasted light. Good for espresso. El Salvador Santa Ana PacasA mutation of Bourbon cultivar that appeared in El Salvador in 1949: Pacas is a natural mutation of Bourbon cultivar that appeared in El Salvador in 1949. It... A – CaramelCaramel is a desirable form of sweetness found in the flavor and aroma of coffee, and is an extension of roast taste. Extremely light or dark coffees will... sweetnessSweetness is an important positive quality in fine coffees, and is one of five basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Savory (Umami). In coffee, sweetness is a highly..., clean nut tones, marzipan, candied almond, rounded mouthfeelUsually referring to mouthfeel, a sense of completeness and fullness: Usually referring to mouthfeel, a sense of completeness and fullness, chocolate-coated nut, toffee and a moderate, green appleAn acid that adds to favorable perceptions of cup quality; malic acid often adds apple-like acidity, and perhaps other taste aspects recalling apples. Malic acid is yet another... acidic impression.Good for espresso. Ethiopia Dry ProcessDry process coffee is a method for taking the fruit from the tree to an exportable green bean. The whole intact coffee cherry is dried in the sun... Yirga Cheffe Aricha – City and City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... roasts show notes of strawberry, apricot and tart fruitedIn some coffee taster’s lexicon, “fruity” means the coffee is tainted with fruit, and “fruited” means a coffee is graced by positive fruit notes. We don't exactly see... notes that add clean brightnessA euphemistic term we use often to describe acidity in coffee. A bright coffee has more high, acidic notes. : A euphemistic term to describe acidity in coffee.... to the flavor profileFlavor Profile implies a graphical impression of a particular coffee, whether it be an artistic portrait or data graph of the perception of flavor compounds. In the case.... Fruits are intertwined with chocolate roast flavors in the long finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We.... Kenya Kiambu Fram Farm AB – Intensely sweet coffee, flavors of maple and fragrant dark sugars, and moderate fruited characteristics that include cooked stone fruits, grapefruit, and black currant tea, lead into complexThe co-presence of many aroma and flavor attributes, with multiple layers. A general impression of a coffee, similar to judgments such as "balanced" or "structured" baking spice aromaAroma refers to sensations perceived by the olfactory bulb and conveyed to the brain; whether through the nose or "retro-nasally": The aromatics of a coffee greatly influence its.... Nicaragua Granjeros De Las Brumas – A versatile coffee that excels at medium and dark roast levels, chocolate bittering, burned sugar, almond-like nut notes and a heavy, lactic mouthfeelHow a coffee feels in the mouth or its apparent texture, a tactile sensation : A major component in the flavor profile of a coffee, it is a.... Good for espresso. |

New Classic Espresso – A classic, balanced espresso, but without the baggage of the old world espresso conventions …and without robustaAteng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely...! The espresso has balanced bittersweetBittersweet is from the language of chocolate, and describes the co-presence of positive bittering compounds balanced by sweetness. It is directly related to caramelization, but has inputs from... notes, thick and opaque bodyAssociated with and sensed by mouthfeel, body is sense of weight and thickness of the brew, caused by the percentage of soluble solids in the cup, including all..., almond and chocolate roast flavors, hints of peach tea, spice, jasmineA very positive and intensely floral quality in coffee, usually with a strong aromatic component, reminiscent of jasmine flower or tea. There are many forms of jasmine; the.... French Roast Blend – Designed to endure the rigors of dark roasting, and produce excellent pungentRefers to an aggressive, intense aroma or flavor, often related to spices (pepper) or roast tastes. Pungent foods are often called "spicy", meaning a sharp or biting character,... tastes, attractive bittersweet/carbony flavors, and great body. Liquid Amber Espresso Blend– A potent, pungent blend for espresso beverages. It’s ideal for milk drinks, as this intense bittersweet cuts through the steamed milk. RusticA general characterization of pleasantly "natural" flavors, less sophisticated and less refined, but appealing. : What is Rustic? This is a general term we came up with... Dried... sweetness, spice, savory notes, long aftertaste. Monsooned coffeeA method of ageing coffee in India where the unroasted coffee is exposed to humid monsoon winds.: Monsooned coffees are stored in special warehouses until the Monsoon season... and a small percentage of RobustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any... add cremaCrema is a dense foam that floats on top of a shot of espresso. It ranges in color from blond to reddish-brown to black. Blond crema may be... and body. Decaf Espresso Donkey Blend – Fruited cup profile, some sweet bright accents, medium body. FC+ to a light Vienna is recommended. Espresso Monkey Blend – We blend this for body, balanced between high and low tones, fruited-chocolate roast flavors, and slightly rustic fruited accent notes. Our roast goal is in the beginning stages of 2nd crackAn audible popping sound heard during roasting. In coffee, one refers to "first crack" and "second crack," which come from two different classes of chemical reactions.: An audible... … we never “let it roll”, so we recommend FC+ to light Vienna roastVienna roast occurs at the beginning of second crack. The Vienna stage is where you begin to find origin character eclipsed by roast character.: Vienna roast occurs at.... |
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Check out our Green Coffee Outlook for January. We are making it monthly post to help our customers stay informed on what coffees are scheduled to show up on our offerings list.
January 13, 2021

Looking to roast something exciting and rare? Step out of line a bit and try our latest aged SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body.... Keep in mind it’s physical appearance is a little odd, brownish in color, mottled, but this is normal for aged coffeeAged coffee is not the same as old coffee. Aged coffee typically has very strong earthy flavors, and can be very pungent, leather or tobacco aromas and flavors.:.... Aged coffee is not just old coffee. It’s actually monitored, rotated and cupped during the aging process.
Sumatra Aged 5 Years Nusantara – Aged Sumatra coffee is so intense: syrupy sweetness, notes of fresh herb, aromatic woodyGenerally a taste defect from age; old green coffee, perhaps yellowing in color. This is due to the drying out of the coffee over time, and as the..., cherryEither a flavor in the coffee, or referring to the fruit of the coffee tree, which somewhat resembles a red cherry.: Either a flavor in the coffee, or..., leather, black pepper, cacao…it’s all there, and more. Extra long, earthyEarthy is a flavor term with some ambivalence, used positively in some cases, negatively in others.: Sumatra coffees can have a positive earthy flavor, sometimes described as "wet... finish.

Unlike air roasters or commercial drum roasters, Behmors start off from room temperature and get up to roasting temp a little slower since it’s heating elements are relatively farther away from the coffee. This is not necessarily a bad thing since some coffees benefit from a slow ramp of heat. Other coffees can benefit from preheating. Check out our latest article in which we answer a lot of common questions about giving your BehmorA popular electric drum roaster designed for home use, with variable batch sizes (from 1/4 pound to 1 pound) and a smoke-reduction system. It has been modified and... a few extra degrees before starting your roast. Please share your own experiences or ask us any questions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you
January 15, 2021

HondurasHonduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... Los Andes Doña Daisy – City+ straddles the line between sweetness and roast bittering, cooling to cup flavors of molasses, brown sugarBrown sugar is a type of sweetness found in coffee ...a sweetness characterized by a hint of molasses, yet quite refined as well. Since Brown sugar of the..., an orangeOrange aromatics and flavors are prized in coffee, whether they take the form of sweet orange flesh and pulp, or orange peel. Orange flavors or aromatics can range... accent, and mild, lemon-like acidity. Good for espresso. BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... Dry Process FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. Furnas – Notes of caramel-coated peanut, stewed fruit, molasses, barley malt, banana bread and baking cocoa. A big-bodied coffee that is a great blend option too. Good for espresso. Costa Rica Helsar Miguel Rojas Rola – Medium roast levels produce an unrefined sugary-sweet base, blanced sweet and bittering chocolate flavors, mild acidity, hints of walnut, roasted almond, and appleApple-like flavors in coffee can take on many different forms. The more common ones we use relate to malic acid brightness, which can recall different apple types: green.... Good for espresso. Ethiopia Organic Shakiso Kayon Mountain Farm – Unrefined sugar sweetness is cut through by a rindy citrus flavor, fruited accent notes of orange and dried strawberry, aromatic herbals, Earl Grey and hibiscus teas, and a soft floralFloral notes in coffee exemplify the connection between taste and smell. Describing the taste of a specific flower is near impossible...we always default to “it tastes like it... jasmine note. Brazil Dry Process Pedra Branca – Robust cocoa roast flavors are matched by unrefined, molasses-like sweetness, with dried banana and berry accents, and rum candy in the aroma. Good for espresso. |

The Behmor is an awesome roaster that roasts up to a pound at a time. It burns off most of the roast smoke too. Over the years, we have written a lot of helpful information about it and were able to compile it all into one handy dandy resource page.

Popcorn poppers are great DIY coffee roasters that many folks choose as their first roaster because of how cheap and easy they are to use. Some experienced home roasters continue to use poppers as their main machine for those same reasons. Interested in getting one? Sure, you can always buy one from us or you can scavenge for one at your local thrift store. Check out our classic video where Tom did just that.
January 20, 2021

Sumatra Lintong Sigumpar Village – A complex Sumatra with syrupy, rustic sweetness, earth and herbal notes, licorice, and aromatic wood. Intense chocolate roast bittering when roasted dark. Good for espresso. Sumatra Kirinci Coop HoneyIn coffee, honey-like sweetness is often found, but we use terms such as refined honey (highly filtered and processed) as opposed to raw honey rustic honey sweetness. This... Labu – This hybrid process is underscored by earthy sweetness, with flavor notes of stewed plum, jack fruit, pipe tobacco, aromatic woody incense, and intense chocolate bittering. Good for espresso. |

January is already in full swing and your wall or fridge is begging to be adorned with a Sweet Maria’s 2021 Cars of Coffee calendar. Pick one up for only $10 and help us support Food 4 Farmers, Girls Gotta Run, Grounds for Health, Coffee Kids and World Coffee Research.

Want to improve the bean movement and heat output of your Fresh Roast SR540 roaster? Installing an extension tube should do the trick.

January 22, 2021

Honduras El Sauce FincaSpanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... El Plan – Bittersweetness, mild acidity, big body, top notes hint at cream soda, caramel and creamyCreamy is a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and soft, rounded texture. See also buttery. nut, whereas Full City roasts tip the scales in favor of dark chocolate. Good for espresso. Honduras Santa Barbara Jose Esteban – The middle roast range brings out sweetness, balanceSuggests a harmony and proportion of qualities, and implies mildness since no one quality dominates.: Balance is both an obvious and slippery taste term. It implies a harmony... and body, producing an all-around accessible cup of coffee. Notes of toffee, Brazil nut, pecan, chocolate. Kenya Nyeri Ichamama PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... – Ichamama brews up fruited flavors of cranberry juice, blackberryBlackberry flavor in coffee sometimes relates to slightly more developed roast levels.: Blackberry is found as a fragrance, aroma or flavor in some coffees. I find that it..., pomegranate, tamarind, as well as hefty body and a vibrance that indicates tart berry and citrus juice. Colombia Urrao Heirloom CaturraCatimor is a broad group of cultivars derived from a Hibrido de Timor (HdT) and Caturra cross, highly productive, sometimes with inferior cup flavor. The main issue is... – The patient drinker will be rewarded, top notes flourish as the cup cools, dark stone fruit, berry, baking spices, brisk, black tea, atop a grounding brown sugar sweetness and Root Beer finishing note. GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... Antigua Pulcal Inteligente – Brown sugar, hints of herbal tea in light roasts, and apple at a wider roast range, a balanced cup, with enough top-note complexity to make it a highlight in our Central American lineup. Good for espresso. Ethiopia Dry Process Mahamed Aba Nura – The sweetness is pronounced in the brewed coffeeBrewed Coffee refers to all coffee preparations produced by adding non-pressurized water to coffee grounds. Contrasted with espresso coffee, which is produced under pressure, brewed coffee is primarily..., with discernible flavors of blackberry, dried blueberryBlueberry flavors in coffee take different forms. Dried blueberry was something we first encountered in natural Harar coffee from Ethiopia. It seemed to be most potent in fresh... dusted with dark cocoa powder, and a subtle floral aroma. A complex pour over brew. |

Giling Basah is a form of wet processingThe removal of the cherry and parchment from the coffee seed.: Coffee is either wet-processed (also called washed or wet-milled) or dry-processed (also called wild, natural or natural... native to IndonesiaUSDA is (obviously) the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA also had coffee plant breeding programs in the past and one variety they distributed to Indonesia and was.... Instead of letting the wet processed coffee dry for weeks, the wet coffee, still in parchmentGreen coffee still in its outer shell, before dry-milling, is called Parchment coffee (pergamino). In the wet process, coffee is peeled, fermented, washed and then ready for drying..., is dried and transported for about 2-3 days before it is hulled. HullingHulling is the step at the dry mill where the green coffee bean is removed from the parchment shell. (See Wet Hulled for the Indonesia method). coffee when it’s wet and soft can result in damage to the beans and the drying process afterwards isn’t always done in the most protected or consistent environments. In the end, all this comparatively unorthodox processing leads to a unique cup, low in acidity and a lot of body.

New coffee cups…not mugs…not tea cups, but traditional Ethiopian Sini cups! Commonly seen all over Ethiopia, these beautiful tulip shaped cups fit nicely in the hand. We offer them in six packs. Three red and three green. Grab a few sets for yourself and a friend. It was no easy task getting them here so it’s nice to finally have them in stock.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and coffee from Ethiopia is probably the most popular origin among Sweet Maria’s customers. Check out our online coffee library to learn more about this amazing coffee origin.
January 29, 2021

Kenya Nyeri Rukira AA – Layers of sweet flavor notes like butteryA mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess, and can also be a flavor description.: Buttery is primarily a mouthfeel description indicating thickness and creaminess. It indicates a high... toffee and caramelized sugar fill out Rukira’s bottom end, with hints of blackberry, pomegranate, plum and grapefruit. Good for espresso.
Ethiopia Uraga Tebe Haro Wato – Overt floral aromatics are contrasted by musky wood-spice accents, vibrant acidity, lemonLemon notes, as well as other related citrusy flavors or acidities, are prized in coffee. These usually express themselves as a bright accent in the cup, or aromatic... juice, citrus pith, natural dried peach, jasmine, and sandalwood.
El Salvador Santa Ana PacamaraAs the name implies, Pacamara is a large bean cultivar, a cross between Pacas and Maragogype with unique flavor properties. This variant originated in El Salvador in 1958,... AAA Lot 2 – Focused sweetness with flavors of nougat, brown sugar and caramel, marked by top notes of black tea with lemon, vanillaVanilla notes in coffee are often related to caramelization notes, as butter and vanilla can be found in flavors and aromatics of roast reactions from reducing of sugars. bean and a mock orange floral aromatic hint. Light roasts shimmer with vibrant acidity. Check out how wet mills in El Salvador are working toward energy independence.
Sumatra Wet ProcessWet-processing starts by removing the outer skin of the coffee cherry with a machine called a pulper, then fermenting the remaining fruit (with green bean inside) in water... Gunung Tujuh – What a unique, wet-process Sumatra, pumpkin pie, burned sugar, caramel, yellow custard, citrus peel and an herbal overlay that includes notes of basil and dried sorrel. Learn more about wet processing in our library.
Guatemala Huehuetenango Chalum Lot 2 – Sturdy sweetness, candied walnuts and milk chocolate, dried apple, hints of berry and baking spiced aromatic note. Chocolate flavors are more substantial at Full City. Good for espresso.
Guatemala Proyecto Xinabajul La Libertad – Caramel and maple, a roasted almond note, hints of tangerine and other sweet citrus. Layers of opaque chocolate flavors dominate Full City and beyond. Good for espresso.
Peru Fair Trade Organic La Convención – Base flavors of brown sugar and cocoa, with fruited hints of juicy apple, baked pear, and baking spice aromatics. Incredibly clean and crispUsually used as a modifying flavor term, such as "crisp acidity" : Crisp can have several meanings, since it modifies other flavor terms. Crisp acidity might mean bracing,... acidity for Peru too.

Staff picks is back and Tom’s at the controls this time around. Click Here and read about what coffees the co-owner of Sweet Maria’s enjoys drinking.

Our stock of BurundiBurundi coffee bears resemblance to neighboring Rwanda, in both cup character, but also the culture surrounding coffee. Burundi is a small landlocked country at the crossroads of East... coffee has run out. Bummer! Don’t worry, we have more on the way and expect to make them available next week, hopefully on Wednesday!

Want to dive into coffee roastingThe application of heat to green coffee seeds (beans) to create palatable material for brewing a great cup!: Coffee roasting is a chemical process induced by heat, by... ideas, roast profiles, principles and a little coffee science? Click on over to our Roast Theory page where we have compiled years of articles and videos about how and why coffee turns brown when you heat it up.
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Remember to get your 2021 Cars of Coffee calendar while supplies last. Pick up a set of Ethiopian coffee cups too!